 infobox organization name knights of the watch image coat_watch gif members 5 000 base hookhill leader hugo of geoff the knights of the watch are an organization dedicated to protecting the sheldomar valley from the paynim paynims and other westerlings or civilized baklunish armies this duty is near-prejudicial in its strength with many considering the whole of the baklunish as a race of war-obsessed barbarians wanting only to overrun the valley and take it for themselves led by their grand commander the grandiose imperial wyvern hugo of geoff they number 5 000 strong they possess a number of castles keeps and strongholds along the ket ketite border and elsewhere in the western mountains while their strongest bases of power are found in the cities of hookhill hochoch and pellak membership in this order is not to the exclusion of other military organizations; many serve within the armies of their native countries holding positions within bissel 's border companies or in the forces of the gran march geoff or keoland the knights are devotees of a near-monastic school of teachings based on the writings of the philosopher azmarender this sage developed a code of duty and belief known as the twelve and seven precepts each set is devoted to a different focus; while the twelve precepts govern how a knight of the order is to carry out his daily activities the seven precepts guide life beyond the self giving meaning to the world beyond the field of battle these latter teachings are known only to members of the order revealed slowly as the knight gains station the mysterious seventh precept said to reveal ancient secrets of the creation of oerth is known only to hugo himself though not based in any one religion the teachings fit well into the teachings of certain militant gods such as st cuthbert heironeous pholtus or allitur as befits an order of such mysticism the watchers are known by a variety of fanciful titles the lowest in rank are known merely as vigils with minor ranks adding to the base title stalwart vigil resilient vigil radiant vigil etc as knights rise in station a variety of adjectives are added to their titles with vigil replaced by the names of fantastic beasts such as the manticore the hippogriff or the griffon for example a mid-level commander is known as the magnificent elder gorgon few outside the order understand the ranking system of the watch thus giving rise to the saying frightful as a watcher watcher's title to denote someone who wishes to seem more fearful than they truly are 